Improved explosive cowlpounb



. Ta cll'whom itmay concern:

Be itkhown that I, H'Amroa H- Lvo'nsom' a lotflthe snme.

i 'tfrED STAT I-PATENT "Qsrnj HALVQR'. HALvoR'soN oF CAMBRIDG nitssAoausurrs. 7

I Impac /En .sXaLo-stv's mPousog -ff Specification forming part of Letters PutentiNo. 43,021, unc 7,'1$(5 4.- I

of- Cambridge,- in the county of Middlesex and State f Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Exposireflompouudsyand'ldo hereby declarethat the following isa full, clear, and exact description The object'ot my invention is tocombine the elements of rxplo'sives, as.fiir as the characters of suchgelements'will permit,"by chemical at} V finities, thereby producing more homogeneous mixtures and economizingithat amount of has I bor and machinery incident to those mechaniealjprocesses involved in the ordinary manu i'acture of gunpowder. That this object is not new 1; am fnllyawarqas the same has been sought in she j'pro'duction' of fulminates, 'g'uucotton, pyroxyline, glonoine, &c. In the production 0t my explosire Lhave sought to em-; ploy similar elements to thoseot gunpowder and to devise the means. by which'aflinities should hes'ocon trolled thatcombination's might be-eflectedffittm g the products to all the conditions for which that materialis adapted.

Thev effect upon' ligneous matter treated with nitric-acid is'well known, as well in regard to its combustibility as its preservation, the first character being typified in gun-cottomthe lat-- ter in. artifi'elalvparchment. On aecountof its attenuation andrthe convenience of obtaining it, .I have selected sawdust from veneer-saws,

and that readiest at handhasbeen from rosewood.) This I have treated with diluted nitric acid- -seventy-five per cent. acid, specific grave ity 1.4 .0e-wlth' twenty-five per cent. water, in volume,nntil fumes of nitrous acid begin to 'be-evolved, when vI immediately 'decant the liquid and thoroughly wash the dust'and dry it under any known circumstances, either by sun, draft, or artificial heat. Thedustin this stage of my process will be found changed in color and morecombustible than before the treatment. It will here be observed that I 'de- "iate from the treatment of cotton or paper, in

. theproduction of gun-cotton or artificial parchment,in continuing the action of the acid un- I til its decomposition commences, as indicated by the evolution of -nitrous acid. The acid, as decanted from the sawdnst,'as well as thefirst two washings, is saved and utilizerhas hereinai'ter' specified. The dried sawdust new submitted to one ortwo processes, depending on conditions and circumstances liereinafter'to j be described, whether in conjunction with the employment of the before-mentioned'acid-and vwashings or not. The object ofthis or'these processesis to combine the dust. with cyanogen or sulphur, Nat-10218 ways. I

' I P From the character of'cyanogen the chemist will iu-fei'Iits employment in this case indi-.

rectly. This I accomplish,"first,-by d'yeing'the sawdust heavily with some'vpreferably insolu- 'ble-cyaniesalt,'-such as the fcrrid-cyanide' of g iron or Prussianblue. ThisI accomplish by saturatin'gthesawdust with nitrate'ot irony and then treating thethus saturated. dust with r a solution of fe'rrocyanide of potassium. This imbues the ligneous particleswith' common Prussian blue, whosepopular formula is'written lie-[031 Y r 1 ;As theignition is much enhancedby cyanogen, I pret'erto imbue the dust with another Prussian blue of my own invention, instead of the common, containing another atom'ofcyanogen, a description of which will be found in another paper specifically prepared 'on that d subject. The dust in this'conditionis easily.

ignited, and with oxygen suflicient to sustain the combustion of the carbon of the ligneous matter, aswell as that of the cyanogen, whereby it's nitrogenis liberated, eudiometr ic re sults are obtained of great interest and im .portance. r

The other mentioned process to which the azotized sawdust may be submitted is to satu rate it with asolutiouot any of thealkalihe sulphides and decompose such sulphide with some acid of whichthe resulting salts may be desirable, while the sawdust will be impregnated-with the eliminated sulphur of the sultphide'employed. v

The third treatmentto which the sawdust may be subjected for the purposes undercoosideration is to deposit in its pores asulphocyanide 'I prefer that of copper, by wellknown double decomposition, through successive applications to the dust of a solution of a eupreous saltand that of a sulpho-cyanide.

The sawdust, being thus prepared in any of these described ways, is to be mixed with any body capable of yielding oxygen for its combustion. For this purpose I prefer a mixture of two parts of chlorate of potassa to one part ofnitrate of the same base, by weight, or a salt,

01 both, which may bedt me in that; of the impregnated sawdust. To avoid the dangersattending the grinding together or trituration of these ingredients, on account- .of the peculiar character of the chlorate of potassa, I make a warm saturated solution of the two salts and immerse the dustin this solution under constantagitatiom By this means thednst becomes thoroughly impregnated with the salts and the agitation prevents a regular crystallization. 7 When I think the dust is saturated with this solution, and continuing the agitation, I avail myselfof the insolthbility of the saltsinnder'consideration in alcohol, and applyingthis agent copiously and rapidly the whole mass is soon precipitated in intimate combination and in a doughy condition, when it may be moldedinto cartridges, as described in another specification devoted to that' subject, or treated like common gunpowder-paste for granulation.

The combination of ligneous matter with cyanogen, sulphutg'or sulpho-cyanogen being a marked feature of iny'invention, I occasionally avail myselt'of the solubility of Prussian blue in oxalic acid, by which means 'ligneous or any porous body may readily be imbued with Prussian blue, and either holding the oxalic acid as an additional source of carbonin the explosive, orit may be removed by alcohol, in which it is soluble, the alcohol in all these employmen ts being recoverable by distillation for repeated uses.

The time has now arrived to consider the disposition to be madc ot' the acid employed in the first treatment of the sawdust and what is removed from the dust and held in solution by the a. -.id. If this acid solution be treated,-

with a soluble sulphide, an organic sulphide and a nitrate ot' the base of the applied sulphidc will result, the 'former as a, precipitate,

to be collected, washed, and dried, to be em-' pioyed'as-a carbo-sulphide in the explosive, and the nitrate ot' potassa, if sulphide of potassium were the decomposing salt employed, to be crystallized and employed as abovoindicated. However unimportant this fact may be in this immediate connection, its general application in organic chemistryopensa wide field but while the action of nitric acid on many organic bodies reveals so manywo'ndert'nl phenomena, that on saiicine, indigo,and

the aniline family ofsubstances suggested its results he'r'cas conducive tomy object of more important resnlts than 1 its .conversion ,jnt o a sulphide' "Upon such analogy [concentrate this acid solution, (luring which-heavyyolnines of nitrous fumes occur, on ,w hichaccount precautions must be taken to avoid their: in-

halation. lterystallincbodyresultsof-marked acid propel ties and capable oh. forming welldeiined salts, those of potassa .and ammonia being pcrmanet-lt, that ot'soda deliqucscent. 'lhis acid and saltswxccpt the soda, deflagrate on coals, but not quitcas violent as the picric acid and its salts. It is the potassa or ammonia salt of this acid I propose to employ in conjunction with chlorates of potassa in the manufacture of my explosive, preferring the' ammonia salt as being the most energetic, and as diminishing the solid residual of the deflagration or combustion of the compound. The production of this acid from rose-wood saw.- dust is attended also with evolution of prussic acid, which is of interest in a scientific point of view; but for the technicality under consideration, other woods undoubtedly would produce equally satisfactory results. Asa

test; for such conclusion the results of the oxi- Jdation of satin wood, Sanguinaria Oanadensia, Capsicum Afrz'cana, U Imus rubm',"H i drastis 'Oanadensis have been tried and samples pro-' duced; huthowever I'elicitous woods may seem, the combination of sulphur with organic matter and oxidized'carbonaceous or vegetable substances, when such exist in solution, they a'p-' pear to be better adapted to the end in view, and when in addition to this su'ch conditions are attainable inadvertently the subject hecomes still more inviting and more important. In this relation the residuums ofpetroleum or coal-oil works present the inviting field.- If the sulphuric acid bottoms, as they are called, from such works are first treated with water, a decomposition occurs by which a dark oleagi-n'ous matter is separated and floats upon the other or more aqueous or acid character.

By long repose a pitchy-lookiug matter collects I and ipterposesitselt' between the said acid and lower and oleagi nous and upper part of the decomposition. When this has occurred the acid portion is clear and transparent and of a reddish-brown color. If this matter is treated with'alkaline sulphides, mutual decomposition ensues and a sulphide precipitates, while an alkaline sulphate remains in solution. For this operation I prefer the sulphide of ammo nium, as the sulphateofthat base is more valuable than that from either potassa or soda.

By whatever agent this decomposition is at fected, the utmost caution is indispensable, as a complicated and very deleterious gas is copiously evolved, and of which one single inspiration will prostrate the operator to the floor,with only a momentary consciousness of a green hue cast upon all surroundings, aringing noise in the ears and a coma, from which resuscitation may be doubtful unless immediate and energetic stimulants, pure air, and cold water to the head are obtainedand administered. A .revival from one of these swooniugs is followed by weakness of the en tire vertebra, trembling, headache, and anxiety for hours after return of consciousness. This is the writers single experience,,without adesire for repetition ,even u'nder'tbe auspicious presence of the'energetic and judicious assistant -who witnessed the. scene described. This, gas is sulphureted byhydrogen evolved from the sulphide, blended with some cyanogen compound extant in the bottoms and liberated under the conditions of the decomposition, The supernatant solution,

' the large amount of in the bottoms,

toms shall have after the subsidence of the organic sulphide, reacts on iron like a sulpho-cyanide. Its constitution has not beendefinitely studied.

1 By the decomposition of this new sulphide with nitric acid nitrous acid is abundantly generated, and leaves as a residuum pure sulphur to thecxtent of sixty-five per cent. of the sulphide'thnsdecomposed. .Th'e oxidized'matter crystallizes from a hot concentrated solution,

reddens litmus-paper strongly,and makes salts with bases, those of soda and ammonia being characterized as follows The soda saltis deli ,qucscent, the ammonia salt detonating. The

resemblance between the sulphide precipitated from these bottoms and that from wood sawdust-solution in nitric acid, above described,

and the alkaline salts from the acids from woods and those from the bottoms, as w cll as other combinations, is striking enough to n mount almost to identity. The large proportion of sulphur eliminated from tltc'snlphides of the bottoms may ,bezaccouuted for, first, by sulphuric acid contained and, secondly, by the excess of sulphur in the commercialsulphideof potassium employed in the experiments which have thus far been made. When the matter held in solution by the sulphuric acid of these hotheen thoroughly studied, its constitution defined, its atomic weight es- ,tablishcd,-1 have no doubt that an infinitely less amount of sulphurwill ,prove -'a proper.

equivalent, and that it is of hasic'properties, and whose nomenclature is yet to be proclaimed.

Untilthe problems above-named are solved by aualysis,'-and its formula shall suggest aname, I will take the liberty to callit petrulminc --not arery classic name, to-be sure,

.but-it willbear comparison with such a name as sacnlmine when applied to the remotest products from sugar. The sulphide of petrul-' mine, then, I propose to employ as. a carbo sulphide in an explosive compound.-

lf the bottoms referred to, instead of being 7 treated with a sulphide, are treated with a nitrate, a sulphate ot' the base of th'e'nitrate will result and decomposition of nitric acid takes place. If a nitrate is added, as long as nitrous fumes are evolved, supposing it to be a nitrate potassa, and the mass heated to'boiling at iu-. tervals and left to spontaneous crystallization, it will he fonnd'necessary to add carbonate 0t potassatill eifervescence ceases, enoughto "nvert the bisulphatc of this base into aneu- "t ral sulphate. A small amount of nitrate and.

but when the v nitrite of potassa will also occur; crystals formed give a turquois-colored precipitate with a salt of copper the supernatant solution should be decanted. This is a solutiouot' petrulminiate of potassa, which, when decomposed with tartaric acid, will -yield'on evaporation petrnlminic acid. This acid is susceptible of forming the same salts which were obtained from the petrnlmine when a sulphide by oxidation with nitric acid, hereinbe fore mentioned, was used; but as the ammo-' niacal salt afl'ords an element in myexplosive ,every way desirable and more preferable than the acid, I propose to decompose the bottoms with nitrate of ammonia, which can be ob-- tained cheaply atv gas-works, andv neutralize the resulting petrnlminic acid with the ammonia of the sulphate'formed, and then employ this petrulminiate of ammonia in combination with chlorate of potassa, or, better still, perchlorate of ammonia, 'as the deflagratin g element of my powder.

' Tho only question in regard to perchlorate of ammonia in thisconnection is -pi ice.

It will be seen that no residue can possibly result from a combination of perchloric acid,

ammonia, carbon, and sulphur. The combusti'on can be productive of nothing but expan- -sible gases.

What I therefore claim as my inrcn'tion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isa The combination of an organic sulphide and a cyanideor ferrid-cyanide-with an organic deflagrating ammoniacal salt and a chloric-or [perchloriiz salts of potassa and ammonia, as

and for the purposes described.

This specification signed- March, 1864. f j H. HALVORSON. 1 Witnesses:

' Taos. T. EVERETT,

DAN ROWLAND.

this 11thday of" 

